It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a proposal!

Published: Saturday, May 17, 2014 at 01:01 PM.

Three years into the relationship with her boyfriend, Kim Jenkins’ expectations of a marriage proposal had long since taken flight.

But popping the question in any typical way wouldn’t do for Joshua Strider. So last week he gave her a bird’s-eye view of it — from an airplane.

“He is very creative, so I knew it would be something very different,” said Jenkins. “But I had no idea it would be that special.” Strider and Jenkins are both Gastonia natives who knew each other from their days at Ashbrook High School, though they had never dated in high school. Three years ago, Jenkins’ hairdresser wanted to set her up with someone.

“When she described him, I said, ‘I think I already know him,’” Jenkins said. They’ve been together since that somewhat blind date — long enough for marriage to become part of the natural conversation.

“I know he was probably sick of me asking when it was going to happen,” Jenkins said. Strider’s father, Randy Strider, is a pilot. He had taken Jenkins flying once before in his single-engine Cherokee plane. On a sightseeing trip between Gastonia and Lincolnton he let her take the controls once they were in the air.

On Sunday, father and son offered to take her again. Once in flight, they proposed trying to spot Josh Strider’s house, and directed Jenkins to look down at it. It required a second pass, but Jenkins eventually noticed the message on the lawn: “Will you marry me?”

“I screamed,” she said. “Then I turned around to face him, and he had the ring in his hand. And he said, ‘Well, will you?’”

Three years into the relationship with her boyfriend, Kim Jenkins’ expectations of a marriage proposal had long since taken flight.

But popping the question in any typical way wouldn’t do for Joshua Strider. So last week he gave her a bird’s-eye view of it — from an airplane.

“He is very creative, so I knew it would be something very different,” said Jenkins. “But I had no idea it would be that special.” Strider and Jenkins are both Gastonia natives who knew each other from their days at Ashbrook High School, though they had never dated in high school. Three years ago, Jenkins’ hairdresser wanted to set her up with someone.

“When she described him, I said, ‘I think I already know him,’” Jenkins said. They’ve been together since that somewhat blind date — long enough for marriage to become part of the natural conversation.

“I know he was probably sick of me asking when it was going to happen,” Jenkins said. Strider’s father, Randy Strider, is a pilot. He had taken Jenkins flying once before in his single-engine Cherokee plane. On a sightseeing trip between Gastonia and Lincolnton he let her take the controls once they were in the air.

On Sunday, father and son offered to take her again. Once in flight, they proposed trying to spot Josh Strider’s house, and directed Jenkins to look down at it. It required a second pass, but Jenkins eventually noticed the message on the lawn: “Will you marry me?”

“I screamed,” she said. “Then I turned around to face him, and he had the ring in his hand. And he said, ‘Well, will you?’”

Of course, she replied.

Josh Strider initially tried to let his grass grow long, before mowing the proposal into the yard. But a test run in the plane proved it was too hard to spot from the skies. So his dad borrowed some football field paint from Ashbrook High and filled in the letters with a more eye-catching white. “Josh’s dad was over at the house painting it while Josh and I were over having Mother’s Day with his mom,” Jenkins said. The couple hope to get married sometime this fall. But for now, Jenkins is still soaring.

“It was just the best surprise ever,” she said. You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or on Twitter @GazetteMike.